The Language of Flowers

When you are planning your wedding, you are probably choosing flowers based upon what you like and not necessarily on their meaning. While flowers are rarely chosen today based upon the hidden meaning, in decades past almost everyone was aware that a daisy meant innocence while ivy denoted fidelity. Choosing your bridal flowers based upon meaning or even just knowing what your choice’s traditional meaning is, can be a fun part of your planning.

Of course, even today, everyone is aware that roses are the traditional flower of love. A red rose is the classic symbol of true love while white roses signify eternal devotion. Yellow roses are traditionally given as symbols of friendship. Both pink and orange roses can be used to convey passion and desire. When you mix red and white roses together in one arrangement it stands for unity in your relationship.

Carnations are used in bouquets fairly frequently as well. It is surprising, therefore, that most of the meanings surrounding carnations are fairly negative. The pink carnation is the only choice that has a positive meaning, standing for a woman’s love. White carnations, very common in wedding bouquets, actually mean disdain while the yellow blooms suggest disappointment. Neither of those are messages that are exactly appropriate for celebrating nuptials. However, if you are a big fan of carnations, it’s unlikely that any of your guests will know the particular meaning, so go ahead and use what you like.

And, just for fun, some other common flowers are included with their traditional meanings. A dahlia suggests elegance while a forget-me-not means true love. Honeysuckle is a great choice for weddings as it means devoted affection. Lavender, on the other hand, can go either way, meaning both devotion and distrust. Both the white lily and lilac denote purity and innocence. As you can see, this is fascinating. Doing a quick search for the meanings of your bridal flowers can be a fun exercise and you may actually decide to choose something a bit different based upon what you find.